The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: Eight persons have been arrested after a man from a tribal community from Bihar was lynched by a mob in Kerala on May 13.
Thirty six-year-old Rajesh Manji had reached Malappuram district two days before the brutal assault, which led to his death, Kondotty Assistant Superintendent of Police Vijay Bharat Reddy told The News Minute.
Malappuram SP Sujith Das had also identified this as a case of mob lynching to reporters.
Police have altered their original ‘unnatural death’ first information report to book the accused under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (punishment for murder).
Police are still reportedly ascertaining why Rajesh had travelled to Kerala. Manorama Online has reported that he was originally from Madhavpur in Bihar.
The assault began with an accusation of theft, SP Das said. Workers of a chicken shop found Rajesh sitting in a corner of their premises on the Kizhissery-Thavanur road at 1 am and summoned its owner Muhammed Afsal.
Afsal’s family members then began questioning him and assaulting him. After two hours, they informed a social worker, Anwar, about it and Anwar informed police, who took Rajesh to a hospital, according to TNM‘s account. Manorama reports that police found him lying by the road.
He had grievous injuries to his ribs, chest and abdomen and his hands had been tied. He was declared brought dead.
Afsal and the others in his family are part of the arrested eight.